Chad Whetzel joins Whitman county commission

The Whitman County Commissioners have selected their newest member.

Commissioners Art Swannack and Tom Handy appointed Chad Whetzel, of Pullman, after deliberating behind closed doors for a half-hour during their regular meeting Monday in Colfax.

The board interviewed three candidates last week and chose Whetzel over Pullman resident Cody Finch and Colfax resident Ron Morgan.

Whetzel will fill a vacant seat left open by former Commissioner Michael Largent, who resigned in January. Largent held the post since being elected in 2006.

Whetzel said in an interview he’s run his business, Whetzel Horseshoeing, on the outskirts of Pullman since 1997. He’s also a longtime firefighter who’s served as captain for the Whitman County Fire District 12 since the early 2000s.

He joined the department as a volunteer firefighter in 1999, and has also worked as a wildland firefighter for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources from 2002-2018. Whetzel said the job has taken him across the nation fighting fires in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Whetzel noted he has local government experience being a member of the Whitman County Planning and Zoning Commission since 2012.

Swannack said Whetzel is committed to making the county better in the long term and has enough knowledge to understand the position’s requisites. He added while all contestants were good candidates, Whetzel had the most experience.

“Chad had a good understanding of how the county operates and has been involved in county processes for quite some time,” Handy said. “To me, it seemed he could hit the ground running.”

Whetzel said it’s humbling to have support from around the county for the local government position.

“It’s a big responsibility and something I take very seriously,” Whetzel said. “Hopefully I can give back to the community that’s given me so much.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com